Signing an entry level contract with the Rangers on July 29, 2004, he began his professional career with Rangers ECHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, before moving up to American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack for the majority of the 2004–05 season.[3] In the 2005–06 season he continued to play primarily with Hartford and finished second on the Wolf Pack with 169 Penalty minutes. Towards the end of the season, the Rangers were hit with injury on the blueline and David made his NHL debut playing a solitary game against rivals the New York Islanders, registering 2 penalty minutes, in a 3-2 defeat on April 11, 2006.[4]

He played in two further games in the 2006–07 season with the Rangers, including his first NHL fight against the Boston Bruins'Jeremy Reich,[5] but again remained entrenched as a physical force among the Wolf Pack blueline amassing 189 penalty minutes in 72 games. In his fourth season within the Rangers organization in 2007–08, Liffiton was limited to only 21 games with the Wolf Pack suffering post-concussion symptoms that kept him sidelined for the majority of the year.[6]

On November 4, 2008, Liffiton signed as a free agent to a one-year contract with Esbjerg fB of the Danish League, Oddset Ligaen.[7] Upon Completing the season, he ended his European stint on July 13, 2009, and came back to North America initially signing a one-year deal with Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.[8] David was invited to Syracuse's NHL affiliate, the Columbus Blue Jackets, training camp for the 2009–10 season and was signed to a one-year contract with the Blue Jackets before he was re-assigned to the Crunch on September 29, 2009.[9] David spent the entire year with the Crunch, and developed a career season high with 5 goals, 15 assists and 20 points as the Crunch failed to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs.

As a free agent, David returned to his original draft team in the Colorado Avalanche, signing a one-year contract on July 2, 2010.[10] He was then re-assigned during the 2010–11 pre-season to the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, on September 23, 2010.[11] His first NHL goal was scored on October 30, 2010 against Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets.[12]